Uber has teamed up with Chubb Insurance, a global insurance leader, to provide insurance protection to its drivers across Pakistan. The ‘Injury Protection’ programme is aimed at protecting drivers from the financial cost of injury, including medical expenses and lost earning opportunities up to certain limits, if an accident takes place while driving on the Uber app. The announcement is part of Uber’s global commitment to driver-partner protection and the safety and security of its customers. The company will solely bear the expense of the ‘Injury Protection’ programme. Uber driver-partners, including those on the popular UberMoto and UberAuto, are automatically enrolled via an in-app message; from the moment they accept a trip or delivery request, while driving to pick up a rider or on the way to a restaurant, and until the trip ends or delivery is completed. “Participation is not compulsory, and partners are able to opt-out if they wish. All passengers are also automatically protected by the injury protection insurance.” Commenting on the partnership, Pierre Dimitri Gore Coty, head of Uber for Europe Middle East and Africa stated, “Driver-partners have told us that they enjoy the freedom of being their own boss and choosing if, when and where they drive. But they have also told us they want more security and the injury protection program is designed to provide Uber driver-partners with peace of mind while preserving the flexibility they value. We believe that we have an important role to play in empowering people to get access to quality economic opportunities and we are excited to have developed a leading insurance product for the ride-sharing industry in Pakistan.” “This collaboration with Uber to provide driver-partners with an innovative insurance product is part of our commitment to supporting efforts around digital transformation and providing consumers with peace of mind in emerging markets,” said Giles Ward, regional president for Eurasia and Africa at Chubb Insurance. This new product covers all eligible driver-partners in Pakistan for major costs resulting from accidents or injuries that occur on trip up to certain limits. ‘Injury Protection’ commences from August1, 2018 and will instantly cover more than 50,000 active independent Uber driver-partners across Pakistan. This is an important step in addressing some of the biggest concerns raised by the driver-partners that use the Uber App. “The ride-hailing app continues to develop, collaborate and launch initiatives in an effort to provide more support to its driver-partners and riders in Pakistan and in other countries it operates. Some of these include facilitating anti-sexual harassment training, and hosting listening tours to capture feedback and concerns from local community organisations.” Uber had recently expanded its operations in Pakistan by introducing its affordable uberMOTO service in nine cities after it saw booming demand for the bike service. Published in Daily Times, August 1st 2018.